Dragonfly
by MulticoloredBubbles
Summary: ..I drew. A lot. I created black-and-white worlds with my pencil, people with the lead. I made personalities with my brain, and my hand transfered them to paper. I know that it sounds stupid, but sometimes it seemed that it's real..."
1. Chapter 1

O N E

"Kim!"

I pretended not hear and turned my iPod up.

"KIM!"

I began singing Paramore's "_Misery Business."_

_"'Whoa, I never meant to brag/But, I got him where I want him now..._'"

"_KIM."_

I sang louder.

"'_Second chances they don't ever matter, people never change..._'"

My earphones were pulled out.

"Do you _mind?_" I snapped.

Susan gave me the I-know-you-could-hear-me look. "Dinner."

"Cool. Bring it up."

"Downstairs. Now."

I swung my legs over the side of my bed. "Fine."

She left, and I jumped off of my bed. It was a loft, standing on wooden poles high in the air. The pillows had been white before I bought some colored sharpies. Now the two pillows were covered in doodles, lyrics, and quotes, just like the posts holding up my bed. The ladder was painted black, and it was the only solid colored thing in the bedroom.

I landed on a dark purple-and-white tie-died rug. The rest of the floor was Brazilian cherry wood, red and shiny. The walls were covered in posters of random people and places, whatever looked awesome when I bought it. And art.

I drew. A lot. I created black-and-white worlds with my pencil, people with the lead. I made personalities with my brain, and my hand transfered them to paper. I know that it sounds stupid, but sometimes it seemed that it's real. Sometimes I thought I see a winged creature moving from where I drew it, or lights in the buildings.

But that was just my imagination. None of it could be real. I drew fey. Faeries. Dwarves. Elves. Fantasy. Impossibilities.

Grabbing my denim newsboy cap from the rack by my door, I left.

"Shuddup, Twerpy." I glared at my little brother. He was nine, redheaded, and annoying. He had been talking for a half-hour straight already. It was something about his field trip to the noodle-making factory with his third-grade class. He'd gone on about spaghetti for so long that my once-favorite food's name was going to make me sick if I heard it again.

"My name is _Timmy,_" he said in his annoying sing-song way of speaking.

"Yeah? Well it _should _ be Twerpy, twit," I shot from across the table.

"_MOMMY!"_ he cried, as loudly and as ear-damaging as he could, even though Susan was right next to him. "Kim called me a bad word!"

"I called you a _twit_, dummy. _Twit. _T-W-I-T. 'A foolishly annoying person,' A.K.A, **YOU**."

"MOMMY! KIM CALLED ME A 'DUMMY!'"

"Kim, say your sorry. Be nicer to our Little Angel." Susan bushed her fake blond curls off her fake-tanned face, then brushed Twerpy's red mess out of his green eyes.

I resisted the urge to laugh. A 'Little Devil' was a more accurate description of Timmy the Twerp. I did as I was told, however, and said, "Sorry," in an imitation of Timmy's voice, then in my own way of speaking, I said, "_Your_ Sorry? Apology accepted."

Susan opened her mouth to speak. "Kim--"

"I'll be in my room," I stood up and pushed my chair out, then went to the door, leaving my plate.


	2. Chapter 2

T W O

Someone was knocking on my door.

"GO AWAY!" I shut the black notebook closed.

"Honey..." the voice was my father's, worried and careful. He was back from his trip to Europe, I suppose.

I didn't care. Maybe he brought me gifts-Yeah right. Or maybe he wanted to say 'Hi' to his abnormal, grumpy, frustrated, and annoyed 16-year-old daughter. Even more unlikely.

Which left only one thing for him to want me for.

The 'You need to respect Susan, Kimmy. She's my wife now, and your mother...' blah, blah, blah talk.

"I said, 'Go away.'" I turned away from the door, pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging them. I stared at the Joan Jett poster on my wall.

Dad came in anyway. "Kimmy..."

"Kim, Dad."

"You need to-"

"I know the speech." I turned around and hopped off my bed and went out the door.

Susan was a Barbie Doll. Dad was Ken. Rich, hopelessly confused, Barbie-loving Ken. Four years ago, he married Barbie. Eight years ago, Mom died.

I guess I can understand where Ken was coming from. Barbie was perfect. Or, she likes to _think_ she's perfect. Blond (Mom was a redhead, but I think Barbie's really brunette), fashionable (Mom classified a a hippie), 20, and she could do everything Dad couldn't-like cook.

But she married him for the money-I have a Franklin on it. He's rich, and she needed money for LBDs. Little Black Dresses. She tried to buy one for me.

I thanked her and proceeded to cut it up. Now it's a black tu-tu sewn onto a pair of jeans that I gave to Jazz for her birthday.

I texted Jazz.

**KIM: **DAD IS TRYING 2 CONVINCE ME 2 GET ALONG W/ BARBIE AGN MEET U SPOT

I came into the front yard and felt the rain hitting my head. Stuffing my RIZR into the back pocket of my dark jeans, I ran.

I heard Joan Jett's _Bad Reputation_ and pulled out my cell.

**JAZZ: **K

I stuffed it back.

My black-and-neon hair was soaked with rainwater. It stuck to my face like glue and was sending shivers though my body as I bolted. I was cold and wet, shivering in the soaked-though black Myka Jelina Piper Fairy Tee and black cargo pants. Just the way I liked it.

The cold kept my brain off of things I didn't want to think about.

Jazz Reed is my best friend. She and I have known each other for ever. We can read each others' minds, finish each other sentences... we're like sisters. At school, we sick together like paper and glue. We're just about the only people who will talk to us-And we like it that way.

I saw a flash of bright orange hair in the trees ahead.

Jazz.

I ran faster.

"BOO!" said a voice. It was Jazz, I knew before I even turned to see.

"Oh, I am _sooo_ scared!" I laughed, then put my arms out in front of me, walking around like a zombie. "Noooooo! Not the horrible Cat Queen! Anything but! Noooooo!!"

We both exploded with laughter.

"Okay," said Jazz between giggles, "You called me out here in the pouring rain, what do you _want, _Crazy?"

"Well, I'd tell you, but we're not there yet. Nice hair, by the way. I thought you were going green though."

"Orange is the _new_ green." Putting on a old-kung-fu-master voice, she added, "Grasshoppar."

Jazz had a thing for abnormal hair colors that got her in trouble. She did styles sometimes too. She'd been bald, Fro-hawk, Mohawk, 'fro, blue, pink, rainbow...

All I had were neon streaks.

Today Jazz was sporting a bright orange pixie cut, spiked up with gel. Her blue eyes shone, the color contrast making them very noticeable. She was wearing a button-up white collared tee with the most busy tie she good find-A purple one with green stripes and orange polka dots, topped off with red swirls. She had the pants I made her on, and black boots.

Returning to reality, I bowed, hands together. "Thank you, Mastar."

She saluted.

Jazz and I had reached a barn inside the forest. It was big and silent. Some of the paint had chipped off, and the sides were covered in graffiti. Our band practiced there. I played bass guitar, and Jazz played drums. Lyn, who's family owned the place, played keyboard, Is, her sister sung and played electric guitar. Most days, sound loud enough to kill could be heard though the barn walls, but today it was quiet.

"Well, I'm grounded for a month." I puffed my cheeks up, stuffing my hands in to my pockets. The rain had stopped, but it was still cold.

"What'd you _do?_"

"Called Twerpy a twit, dummy, and twerp, then didn't listen to Barbie telling me not to call him a twit, twerp, or dummy, ran off to my room, ran out here when Dad tried to get me to apologize, and there's a sixty percent chance that I'll be out past my curfew."

"And your grounded for a _month?_"

"Forth time this week."

"Oh."

"Yeah."


	3. Chapter 3

T H R E E

If it weren't for the smell of pancakes, I would have never woken up.

Sleep is a haven, the only pace where you don't have to worry about the real world. The place where you learn how to fix your problems. The warmth and kindness of the dead loved ones, come back in your dreams to remind you of their wishes. I'm told that I sleep to much.

I tell that everyone sleeps to little.

The snooze button is my friend. The guy on the radio is my enemy. I think he might be everybody's-He wakes us up. I could never stand having that job.

I climbed onto one of the kitchen stools, my bare feet shivering at the morning cold of the silver poles of the stool. It was like the ones you see in a bar, with a red cushion and no back. There were five more lined up against the island, facing the giant window.

In front of me was a plate of pancakes and a bottle of syrup. "Thanks, Gretch," I say, drowning my pancakes.

The cook nods. "Have you looked outside today?"

I shake my head and gulp down a bunch of pancakes. "Why?"

"Look outside."

I lift my head, so that I can see the big window. Little flakes of white were falling from the sky. Either the clouds have dandruff, or-

"IT'S SNOWING!" comes a shout from down the hallway. Timmy runs out from the passage, then, seeing no Barbie, runs back in. I can hear him singing _Frosty the Snowman, _the tune echoing off the walls of our house. Our very, very large house.

I snarf down the rest of my pancakes. "What time is it?" I ask no one in particular.

"Nine-forty-seven," says Mary, one of the housemaids.

School's canceled.

I run upstairs, so I can put on snow clothes.

I chuck a snowball at Spike. He dodges, rolling over, and makes another one. He throws it at me, and I duck, making the snowball hit me in the face. If I hadn't moved, it would have hit me in the chest.

The remains of cold powder sliding off my face, I can see my boyfriend making a larger snowball to throw at his friend, Blaze Simon. I follow suit, as does Jazz, and Blaze is pelted with three snowballs. We all run for cover.

Peeking over the log I used to hide, I can see Blaze wiping his face off with his red coat sleeve.

He gets hit with another snowball.

I look over at Jazz, and she shakes her head.

I do the same to Spike, and he mouths 'I wish.'

I feel a snowball colliding with my black hair, and whip around, ready to throw one back. I only see a blond head of hair disappearing into the trees. "Lyn!" I yell.

I'm pelted with two more snowballs.

"Is!"

A redhead steps out from behind the trees. "You rang?" she asks.

"You pelted me?"

I'm hit with another one.

"Maybe," says another voice, along with Is's. It's Lyn.

I throw two balls back at them, then run.

We played like that for a while, but we soon got bored. Around noon, we walked to The Rouge (Issaquah Brewery or something, really, but all the signs and merchandise say Rouge) for lunch.

We ended up with a booth. I was next to the wall, with Spike next to me. Blaze sat next to him and across from Jazz. Next to her was Lyn and Is. Besides us, the restaurant was nearly empty.

The waitress came by, and, dropping our menus, she said, "My name is Kiki, I'll be your waitress. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Rootbeer," I said.

"Coffee," said Spike.

"Orange soda." Blaze yawned.

"Orange soda," copied Jazz instantly, even though she'd rather have coffee.

"Coke," piped in Lyn.

"Pepsi," ordered Is.

The waitress left.

Lyn glared at her sister. "Coke is better than Pepsi."

"No. Pepsi is better than Coke."

"What's the difference?" asked Blaze.

"No clue. I prefer RC Cola," offered Jazz

"Huh?" asked Spike.

"RC Cola. It's like Coke or Pepsi, but less competitive."

"Oh."

I stared at the door, waiting for the topic to turn to something more interesting than Cola.

A boy walked in. I hadn't seen him at school, but he didn't look much older than me. He had blond-brown hair, spiked with gel. His skin was pale, and he wore black plastic glasses. As he got closer, I could tell that his eyes were brown. They moved, like he was looking for something. Someone.

He sat at table across from our booth. He ordered coffee, and pretended to read a book. I was pretending to examine the architecture so that I could see him. He wasn't reading. His glasses slid down his nose a little, and I could tell that he was watching me.

"And you?"

I realized that the waitress was taking my order.

"Uh... I'll have whatever she's having." I pointed at Jazz.

"Okay."

I sipped my root beer.


	4. Chapter 4

F O U R

The man from The Rouge was following me. The group had parted ways once we we done eating, and the man had come out of the restaurant right after us. He followed me all the way to my house before I entered, and for all I know he could still be watching.

I hadn't told Dad or Susan for two reasons. One, they wouldn't believe me.' _Hey, by the way, this guy walked into the The Rouge right after me and my friends and then walked out right after us. He followed me to our house but I don't know if he's still here.' That_ sounds stupid.

Two, if I told them, I'd also have to explain why I was out with friends having fun when I was grounded. I mean, they'd be mad enough that I was playing in the snow. Lunch is a whole other thing.

So I played the good girl. I played with my brother, made hot coca, used my manners, did the chores, and behaved. I even agreed to help Susan pick out the dress she was going to wear at our New Year's party.

When the old grandfather clock in the entryway rang ten times, I dutifully brushed my teeth and got in my pajamas-An overlarge Green Day Tee and Liberty High School sweatpants- before plopping in bed with my iPod on quietly while I read a book.

Once the household sounded asleep, I climbed out of bed. Tiptoe-ing downstairs, I opened the door.

There he was.

His form was hidden in a long, black rain coat. He wore a baseball cap. He was _staring _at ­_my_ bedroom window. Or he was, before his head turned to look at me.

I shut the door quickly, than ran down another fleet of stairs and into the guest room.

Pulling my iPod out of my sweats, I turned it up loud enough that I couldn't hear anything else, but quiet enough to keep everyone asleep.

Then I sat on the bed, my knees bent, feet touching, hands on my knees with palms upwards, and hummed quietly to the songs.

I always did this when I was frightened, stressed, angry, or overwhelmed.

Lost in the music, I didn't realize that it was day until I opened my eyes and saw the hallway light on through the cracks in the door.

I paused my iPod and went upstairs, to find that it was 6:47, Tuesday, and that I was going to be late for school.

"Crap."


	5. Chapter 5

F I V E

I slammed the door of my locker shut. I was late, again, and Dad was going to kill me. This was the fifth time I was late in the month-Today was the 8th of December. I had detention, too, to top it off. Yippee.

At least he hadn't followed me here. Maybe he stopped, or, better yet, maybe it had all been a coincidence. It wasn't like he'd enroll in Liberty just to-

He was standing in the office, being handed his schedule.

I nearly dropped my books and screamed. Instead, I merely headed to second period quicker than normal.

When I opened the door, he was there too.

Sitting. In a desk.

Right. Next. To. Where. I. Sit.

In my head, I saw me standing in the front of Social Studies class, mouth agape, and frozen.

In real life, my eyes were glazed over, in a careful mask of indifference. My mouth was relaxed, and I moved steadily, books under my arm, to my seat.

When I sat, he turned to me.

"Hi, I'm Maxwell." He offered his hand for me to shake. "Max, for short. What's your name?"

"Kim," I spat harshly before turning away.

I flipped my planner open to today's page. Under the section labeled SOCIAL STUDIES, I copied down our homework. Slamming it closed, I pulled out a black notebook from my backpack.

I opened it, and started to draw with the pencil I'd pulled out earlier.

Halfway into the lesson-Something about World War II-I felt a piece of paper bite into my arm.

_Nice picture._

I so desperately wanted to crumple it up. No one was supposed to ever, ever, see what was inside of that note book. Not ever Jazz had seen most of it.

Stop looking at my stuff!

I threw it at him and slammed my notebook closed.

Max came up to me after class. "Hey, Kim. I was wondering-"

"No."

"I haven't even-"

"No." I kept walking.

"Look, I-"

I sighed. Turning around, I said, "Look. I have a boyfriend. I don't want to show you around. No, we can't hang out sometime, get to know each other, or be friends. I'd prefer it if you just acted like everyone else, and stopped talking to me."

"Okay."

"I said no!"

He blinked. "Okay?"

Feeling really stupid, I walked into math.


	6. Chapter 6

S I X

Much to my disappointment, Max was in every one of my classes. Lit and History, Math, Science, Art, Health you name it, and Maxwell was in it. And, in every class, he sat near me. Even in Health, where our hippie-teacher Gary let us sit where ever we wanted in 'The Friendship Ring', Maxwell just _had_ to sit next to me.

There were threereasons why I didn't like Max.

One, he associated with me by choice. No one except Blaze, Spike, Jazz, Is, and Lyn was supposed to talk to me. I liked it that way. If the new kid started talking to me, other people might, and then I'd never be alone again. Even now that was looking unlikely, thanks to my stalker.

Second, I was sure that Max was my stalker. He looked the the man from The The Rouge and my house, and he followed me like a stalker. He just _happened _ to want to talk to an outcast-and-proud-of-it, had the same schedule as me, and enrolled in Liberty right after I noticed the man stalking me.

Third, my friends liked him. He followed me to lunch, and sat at our table. Then, he did the unforgivable.

He started to make my friends his friends.

They had invited him to movie night... At my house. I tried to protest, but the effort was futile. So here I am, sitting, four days later, three blocks away from Max's house (he lived much. much to close), on my couch, waiting for my 5 friends and their friend to show up so that we can watch monthly Saturday night movies in my movie theater (conveniently located on the fourth floor of my house) while my parents and my brother are at the beach house.

The door is thrown open. I don't even have to look to tell that my guests have arrived.

"We're HEEEERRRRRRRREEEEEEE!" sings Lyn, "Did ya miss us?"

"Some of you," I grunt.

"Ok," says Blaze, "I brought three movies, and Maxdawg here brought seven. We've got _Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Spider-Man 3, _All of the PoTC movies, _RV,_ _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_-You've got Max to thank for that one, Kim," he says, naming my favorite movie, "_Oliver Twist, _and _The Chronicles of Narnia."_

Just as I'm about to opt for _Charlie_, Jazz tugs my arm. "You guys pick," she says, and pulls me out of the room.

"What is _up_ with you and the Maddog?" she asks.

I look confused."Who?"

"Maxwell."

"None of your business."

"We're still BFFs, right?"

"Right."

"Then that makes it my business. If you hate someone, I deserve to know why." On 'I' and 'my', she jabs a finger to her chest.

I sigh. "If I don't tell you, I don't get to go back in there, do I?" I point to the door.

"That's the deal."

"Your gonna think I'm crazy."

"I already do."

"Hmph!" I say defiantly before telling her why I think Max is stalking me.

When I'm done, she says, "Max isn't stalking you. He lives close to you, so he walked down your street. He was at the The Rouge because he was hungry and they have good food. He tries to talk to you because he likes you-Not like that. He _happens_ to have the same schedule as you. And you have no proof that it was him watching your house. You said it was dark, and it sounds like you saw him in the same spot as the tree Gretchen planted last week."

I don't like admitting I'm wrong, so I just grunt.

"Promise me you'll be nice?" she puppy-pouts, and her blue, chin-length-thanks-to-extensions hair falls in her face, creating a funny image.

I laugh. "Promise."

Jazz lets me back into the room, where Max is standing, looking like he was waiting for me. "Hey, Kim, I'm sorry. I guess I sorta freaked you out at school. Can we, you know, start over?"

I would have said 'Yes. Now leave,' but Jazz would be so ticked if I said that, so I just said, "Sure, I guess."

"Great," he said.

"Hey, I'm Max."

"I'm Kim," I say, trying not spit, or grit my teeth, or do anything offensive.


	7. Chapter 7

S E V E N

My cellphone was _ringing_ and it was-I peeked at the clock- 9:30 AM on a Sunday morning. Who the was cursed early riser was calling me?

The glowing screen of my RIZR said it was an unknown caller with the number of 401-957-3982. I picked it up anyway, and said, "Who the heck are you?" into the little speaker.

"It's Max... Did I wake you up?" said my phone.

I grimaced. "No. No, not at all."

"Oh. I'm sorry. Um... go back to bed. I'll call you later."

I sat up. "Wait. How'd you get my number? And you can say whatever you wanted to. I sorta needed a wake-up call."

"Spike gave it to me. And I was wondering if you wanted to go out for coffee."

My own boyfriend. Ouch. "I'm _taken_, Max. T-A-K-E-N."

"As friends."

"I have to go to..." I scrambled for an excuse, "Um, feed my cat." Pathetic, because I don't _have_ a cat. I'm more of a ferret person.

"We could go after you feed your cat."

"Then babysit my brother."

"I thought you said the rest of your family was away for the weekend."

_I did? Oh yeah. Dang it, why I tell him that?_ "Oh. Right. Um... "

"Meet me at Starbucks at ten-thirty, ok?" He hung up.

Snapping my phone closed, I considered ditching Max and sleeping for the rest of my day. Deciding it was a good idea, I fell back on to my mattress and felt it vibrate with the sudden force of my weight. I pulled up the mess of random blankets and turned to face the poster on my wall. It was black with the words GET YOUR LAZY BUM OUT OF BED on it in bright colors. Remind me to take that down.

I flipped, now laying on my back, and closed my eyes.

In about three seconds, I gave up on going back to sleep and drowsily climbed off my bed. I stumbled over to my closet, swung the doors open, and walked in.

It was long an narrow, maybe the size of a moving van. There was a door at the end that led into my bathroom, and clothes were on either side. I unhooked a red thermal, a white hoodie with black horizontal stripes and ¾ sleeves, and jeans. I headed into the bathroom, setting the outfit on a stool outside the door.

This room was covered in white and gold tile, with a white bathtub at one end that was next to a shower. Next to it was a white wall that extended a third of the way across the room before folding in wards a fourth of the way with-wise, which behind was a toilet. A sink was also in that room-within-a-room, in the corner opposite the toilet.

I quickly took a shower and got dressed in my pajamas again before heading into a little room between my closet and my bathroom, which I'd passed through earlier. It was carpeted and Jazz had painted the walls with a sunset two years ago. The lighting had a red tint, even when I opened the window on the north wall, so the little table by a mirror was accompanied by a bunch of normal lights along the rim of the mirror. A bunch of empty shelves and a coat-rack were the only other furnishings in the vanity room. I headed for the table and pulled a hair dryer and a brush out of one of it's drawers.

Setting the dryer on medium, I dried my hair out while I brushed it. I looked in the mirror when I was done. Staring back at me was a some-what tan sixteen year old girl with neon highlighted black hair, violet eyes, and full light red lips. I don't look like anyone in the family. Dad is blond. Mom was a redhead. Twerpy's redheaded. Barbie's secretly brunette, and isn't even really related to me. They all have green eyes. My highlights are fake, but the eyes aren't, and violet eyes aren't supposed to exist naturally.

I shrugged, because I don't really care. I probably got them from some long-lost great cousin's aunt twice removed or something.

I got dressed and then did a 180-degree turn to face a full length mirror. The black-and-white hoodie covered most of the thermal, except for a third of the arm, where you could see the fabric because the sleeve ended. My dark-wash jeans were a well-worn favorite pair, and they had holes in the knees.

Peering out the window, I saw that it was raining, so I grabbed an umbrella before rushing out of the house.


	8. Chapter 8

E I G H T

I threw open the door to the cafe and stepped onto gray marble titled floor. I scanned the room for Max, and found him sitting in a corner of the higher wood-floored area. He saw me, waved, and flashed a stupid grin. I scowled, but headed over to him anyway. _Best just to get this over with_, I thought grimly.

I remained standing once I reached the table – for two, I noticed. Crap. I'd been hoping for company.- and said "Look. I hate you. If you would just hate me, that would make my whole life easier."

Sadly, instead of being all mopey or yelling or something, he just looked up at me and smiled. "Why do you hate me?"

I gave him the your-not-funny glare, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Seriously."

"Well, your full of yourself, annoying, always in my business-"

"Your business is my business."

"No it isn't."

"Whatever. Continue." He crossed his arms and propped his legs up on the table.

"Nosy-"

"You already said I was in your business. That's the same thing."

"No, it's not. Now, would you like me to answer your question or not?"

"Answer, please."

"And you interrupt me," I said. "Oh, and you stalk me."

"I don't stalk you," he said. "I merely followed you around everywhere you went. Once."

"Your right! You only follow me around twenty-four-seven! That is so _not_ stalking!" I said sarcastically.

Max grumbled something. It sounded like "Its for your own good."

"Wha?" I asked, confused.

"Nothin'."

I sat down. "So why am I here, again?"

He retracted his legs and sat up straight. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Alright. Talk."

"I'm not going away, and I'm not going to stop trying to be your friend."

"Well, your out of luck, 'cause I don't like you."

"You made that clear. The point is, we need to get along."

"Not gonna happen."

"So, what do you like to do?"

"Listen to music."

"I like to read."

"So do I," I said slowly. I had something in common with _Him_. Crud. I would have lied, but I can't lie. My tongue swells up, and my mouth just sits there, useless and gaping, while I studder out incomprehensible words.

"Great. We can start there."

"Couldn't we start at music?"

"Sure, I guess. What kind of music do you like?"

"Rock."

"You have a band?"

"Why do you get to ask the questions?"

"'Cause I'm special. Do you have a band?"

_Oh, he's special all right... _"Yeah. Didn't somebody already tell you about it?"

"Nope."

_Weird... Normally the band is all Lyn talks about._ "Huh."

"Who's in it?"

"I play bass, Jazz does drums, Lyn's on keyboard, Is sings and plays electric guitar."

"Got a name?"

"Nope."

"Hmm... You want coffee?"

"Sure."

He stood to go get us some. "What do you want?"

"Cinnamon roll and a Cafe Mocha."

He was back a few minutes later with our drinks in a tray. he set it down and then set down two white bags. I looked in them for my cinnamon roll and found it on the first try.

"Thanks," I told Max before tearing the food apart and stuffing little pieces in my mouth. I picked up my mocha and sipped it.

"No problem."


	9. Chapter 9

N I N E

The band's practice place used to be a barn. It still had the high ceiling, stalls, and hayloft of it's origin, but we'd rigged it up a bit, with the help of Lyn and Is's mom. Speakers blasted out sound around the perimeter of the ceiling, plugs were everywhere across the walls, and Jazz had splatter painted most of the walls, although we came here to pop paint balloons on the northern wall often.

Lyn played some notes on her keyboard before her sister started singing softly into the microphone. The song was called _Thank-you. _Lyn wrote it.

When Is finished the first verse, Jazz and I started playing with the rest of the band.

Is started the bridge, then the chorus, getting faster and louder. "_I'm back!/And I'm better than ever/I'm here!/And I'll never leave, ever.."_

At the third verse, we all stopped playing and Is's voice was the only sound. "_I'm gonna live/Like I've never lived before..." _she began.

When we were done, we reviewed our progress.

"I like it," stated Is.

We agreed that it need work, and went to the next song. We still didn't have a name for it, but we'd been playing it for a while now.

The first part was a sad song. Is brooded over how some boy broke-up with her, how she missed him so bad... Lyn made a nails-on-chalkboard sound with her keyboard, mid-lyric. The rest of us stopped, and Is started up again. Loud.

Jazz, Lyn, and I played again.

"_This ain't some stupid sad song/__saying 'I'm sorry, take me back'/No, no, I'm not hurt like that/This ain't some stupid sad song/Because I don't want you back/I don't need you back!" _was the chorus Is sang.

We finished to a clapping sound. I looked at the barn door, where no other but -You guessed it- Max stood. "Very good, girls! Does this band still not have a name?"

"We shall remain nameless," I said.

"That'd be a good name," stated Jazz. Lyn and Is nodded their agreement.

"Ok, then we have a name."

"Well, I was thinking that We Shall Remain Nameless could play at the Winter Ball. I'm on the committee."

"Band conference!" commanded Lyn, motioning for us to move to the south/west corner.

"It'd be a good gig," said Is.

"But dances suck," I reminded them.

"Not with our music!" Jazz high-fived Lyn.

"Yeah!" she said.

I poked my head out of the circle. "Would we have to dress up?"

"Not if you don't want to."

I stuck my face back in. "Then I'll do it."

Is walked over to Max. "We Shall Remain Nameless will play."

Max grinned from ear-to-ear. "Awesome."


	10. Chapter 10

T E N

_I was flying. High up, so high that all I would have seen was white, if not for the clear, bright blue sky. Next to me was someone, a little boy. He looked a little like a younger Max, but his hair was longer, to the bottom of his ear, and looked like pure, beautifully polished gold, and his eyes were the exact color as an emerald. He had wings. Not angel wings, with feathers and everything, but moth's wings. They were pretty plain, but I thought they were beautiful. _

_I had wings too, I could feel them. Four thin dragonfly wings. When they caught in the sun, I knew that they would change colors, be all the hues of the rainbow. They came out of the place between my shoulder blades, like the way a little girl's sparkling fabric butterfly wings met in her back. _

_There was a little breeze, just enough so that the sun's warmth was welcoming. I felt like I was absorbing it all up, like the way a plant does. I giggled, rolling around in the air._

_Then it changed. The happy feeling was gone. It was sad, and reeked of death. It was raining. Some one cried out in the distance. And the little boy had grown up. I started to cry, my tears only adding to the ones that the gray clouds produced. It was dark. I felt a feeling of foreboding, and then it was gone. The way everything looked, all of it._

_We were back in the sunny sky. The boy was young again. So was I. He took my hand as we started to descend from the air, and soon we we in a sunny forest clearing. I looked at the sky again, and saw was blinded by the sun. Then I saw all the people in the tree houses. The little ones, my age, were trying to fly. Some had bright butterfly wings, other had ladybug's. I smiled, and went to play with them, even though the little boy wanted me to come with him to the big oak tree nearby. But I didn't want to go home yet, I was--_

My 'alarm clock' was ringing. I rolled over and opened my cell phone, then closed it again, shutting off the alarm. Why the heck did school start this early? Forcing my self out of bed, I got ready, then ran downstairs.

I grabbed a piece of toast, then ran out to the bus. It was raining, but I didn't really care. I let the water soak my hair and just grabbed the heater seat on the bus. I stared out the window, at the rainy world. And for a minute I thought I saw a little winged person come out of a hole in a tree and wave at me. I blinked, and it was gone. I was just tired, I guess.

"_Oh I'm a gummy bear, yes I'm a gummy bear.._." It was lunch, and Blaze had decided to haunt me with an off-key _The Gummy Bear Song_. "_Three times you can bite me!"_

_"_Hey Blaze?" I asked politely. "Could you please _shut up!_"  
He looked like he was thinking for awhile. "Nope."

"Ok." I whacked him on the head.

"OW!"

I smiled, and started staring off in space. I was thinking about my dream and what happened this morning, even though I knew that winged-people weren't real. No such thing as faeries...

But what if? What if they were real?

I dismissed the thought. _No such thing_, I decided.

"Yo, Kim!" yelled Jazz.

"Yeah?"

"Boyfriend wants you."

"'Kay." I turned to Spike. "Yeah?"

"Movies tonight?" he asked.

"Sure."

But I don't think I was as excited as I should have been.

In the dark movie theater, I sat silently, not watching the film. My mind was elsewhere.

I was thinking about that feeling I had when Spike asked me to the movies. When my boyfriend asked me out on a date. I should have been excited, shouldn't I? I should have been... I wasn't though. I hadn't really cared... I was distracted by the dream I had. Why did that dream matter so much? What was it about? I racked my brain. Who was in it?

Max.

No, not Max. A younger Max. Not even Max. Just someone who looked like Max. I wasn't dreaming about Max. That might mean I liked him. I didn't. Right?

Yeah. I didn't. Can't. I have a boyfriend. A wonderful boyfriend, who is right next to me. I don't like Max. I know that. We're just friends...

I felt Spike put his arm around me. My first instinct was to move away, but I only moved to rest my head on him. It was right, familiar. I breathed deeply, letting my mind drift off again, to more faithful thoughts...

"Dinner?" asked Spike when the movie was done.

"Awesome," I said, smiling. Yeah, _this _was the guy I liked. Not Max. Spike. "Where we going?"

"Where ever you want."


	11. Chapter 11

L E V E N

"Miss Hatherton, Miss James, separate!" shouted Coach Smith from the sidelines. He was my gym teacher, which was silly, seeing as he was a fat, bald, pale old man who nearly coughed himself to death every three minutes and just about fainted from walking across the school campus. His co-worker, Ms. McDonald, was Madalyn James' P.E teacher, and the adult to be afraid of.

I remember when I first came into gym this year. McDonald had introduced herself saying, "My name is Ms. McDonald. I am your gym coach. You will not make fun at my name. You will behave. You will not complain. Got it? Good," When she said Ms, I thought I must of heard wrong. McDonald was old, manly, tall, buff, loud, strict, and assertive- I had thought she was a dude. (Come on! The thing had facial hair for crying out loud!)

I moved to the other side of the gym, away from Madalyn. I hate her. She's a Popsicle- Jazz and I's name for the girlie-girls, preps, and jocks. (A.K.A, the annoying super-rich popular people.) Madalyn, however isn't just any Popsicle. She's Grape-flavored, which means that she's the worst, and the rudest, and the most Clone-like. James is like a mini-Barbie, the sort of daughter my stepmother would kill for. She's got fake platinum blond hair, fake pink nails, fake tan...

And Madalyn hates me back, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Yay!

Madalyn, who didn't get the message about "Go away", came up to me again. "Hey, look, I just wanted to say-I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you didn't know Halloween was four months ago."

I smiled. "It's okay. Oh, and the zoo called. They want the baboon's butts back, so you're going to need to find a new face."

She did that creepy 'sound of disbelief ' thing. "Have you been shopping lately? They are selling lives at the mall, you should get one."

"Your tan is running," I said sweetly and truthfully.

She stormed off.

Max came up to me. "What did she do to you?" he asked.

"Madalyn's just another clone. Nothing original. Anyway, she stole my Twix bar at lunch in second grade."

"And so you insult her every minute of your life?"

"Only when she comes in a twenty-foot radius."

"I think you should stop, Kim. She doesn't need you insulting her."

"Yeah? I don't need her in my life, but look, there the Popsicle is." I pick up my basketball and shoot it into the hoop, zoning out Max.

The bell rang.

"Come over after school, okay?" whispers Jazz as we pass in the hallway. I nod 'okay' and head for Health.

When I sat down in the Friendship Ring,(or Circle, or whatever) people scrambled to get away from me. Max, who had somehow came in earlier, moved to sit next to me, and I blushed-Err... wait... I just had been red from gym... and... umm... my heart was still beating fast from the running we had done! Yeah, thats it.

I moved away from Max, a little to the left. The girl sitting there moved closer to the geek on her right, who grinned foolishly before scooting closer to her. The girl got up and ran to one of her friends across the circle, leaving me sitting next to the geek. He moved away.

I proceeded to space out while Gary droned on about keeping our colons healthy.

I needed to answer a question, and I had to answer it truthfully. Do I like Max as a friend? Yes.

Do I like Max as more than a friend?

The question hung in my thoughts for a while, without an answer.


	12. Chapter 12

T W E L V E

I'm starting to wonder if guys always call early when they want to take you out for coffee.

It was the first day of winter break-on which day I normally sleep in. But nooooooooooooooo, I couldn't do that, Max had to call for coffee...

My phone was playing _White & Nerdy_ by Weird Al, which was the ring tone that plays whenever Max calls now. I picked it up and made a zombie-groan sound, followed by "Ugg."

"Hey, Kim, you wanna come for coffee at Starbucks? I need to tell you something."

I had stat up so fast that I hit my head on the roof and was nearly blacked out, but I managed to say "Sure."

And now I'm meeting him at 9:30.

I frantically search for something to wear. It's not like I can't find anything I _could_ wear, but I need to find something that is right, which sounds really girlie... but if Max has something this important to tell me then I want to look... Ok, that sounds vain... Just forget it, ok?

I pull out some Converse All Stars, skinny well-worn jeans, and a Bonafide Love Music Stars Tee under a blue and white striped sweat-jacket,.and look at my clock. 9:00. I grab my black fingerless gloves and head out the door.

At Starbucks, Max is sitting in the largest, fluffiest, oldest armchair I've ever seen. It's so big that he sinks into the torn upholstery and the back is so tall that from behind I thought the chair was empty. The chair was double-wide, so I could have sat with him if I'd wanted to and there could still be a good two inches between us, but I chose to sit on the matching chair across from him. There was a little table between us.

"Hi Max," I said, trying not to mess with my sleeves.

"Hey Kim. You want anything?" He took a sip of his drink.

"Hot chocolate would be nice. Double whipped cream." God, did I just say that the hot chocolate would be nice? That was stupid...

A few minutes later, he came back with my drink. I fingered my sleeve nervously before taking it from him. You know, in the orange-tinted light of the cafe, Max's hair looks like little golden threads?

I sipped my hot chocolate. "So, you had to tell me something?"

"Yeah. So Jazz told me that you like to draw mythical things?"

I'd never been questioned about my drawings before, so this was a little weird. I got pretty defensive. "Yeah, what of it?"

He laughed, and I frowned. "Chill Kim!" He smiled. "I just wanted to know if I could see them!"

I blinked. "Uh... Okay?"

We walked to my house, where Mary tilted her head to the side and looked confused for a moment, then very knowing. She thought I'd dumped Spike to go out with Max!

"Mary, this is Max, one of my very good friends." I gestured to Max.

"So you are not..." she asked.

"Just friends." I bounded up two flights of stairs and into my room. "Here Max, you wanted to see my drawings, and here they are."

The pictures covered the walls anywhere where there wasn't a poster. Entire bookshelves were devoted to my sketchbooks in the next room. Max looked at each one closely, reading the dates and times I'd drawn them. Sometimes he'd move his lips, like he was talking to the sketches, but no sound would come out. I think he paused longest at the one I had drawn most recently-A scene from my dream.

"What inspires you?" he asked, without turning around.

"I don't really know. The one you just saw-with the little winged-girl and boy-was from one of my dreams..."

"Do they move?" he questioned, turning around.

"Uh, sorta, I guess. But they can't, they're just art."

"Do you see them?" Max took a step closer to me.

"Well, yeah. I drew them."

"Now, do you see faeries?"

"Sometimes..." I trailed off. Why did he want to know what I _saw_? None of it was real, anyway.

He was silent. "Kim, who was your mother?"

"Alexis Collins. She died years ago."

He mumbled something to himself. "Come on, I want to show you something."


	13. Chapter 13

T H I R T E E N

Max brought me to a little pond, deep in the forest. "Look at me," he said. I did so, and Max pulled a sixteen-leaf clover out of his pocket. "I have a story to tell you."

"_In the Realm of Fey, there are two Courts, divided because of years of an unstable ruler. We had one once, and her name was to be Queen Alexis Sarikin-Collins-Lee. But the Queen, afraid to unite the Courts in fear of killing and uprising, ran away to the Mortal Realm. There, some say she broke the biggest rule of all."_

_" Queen Sarikin-Lee fell in love with a mortal man. He never knew of the Queen's identity as Ruler, and soon the two were wed. Years later, a baby was born. She was the only heir to the throne, but the few Fey who knew of her and wanted her to rule did not know where she was, or what she looked like."_

_"Eventually, we were able to track her to the east coast of the U.S.A. Rhode Island, to be exact. I, a knight of the Joined Courts, went in search of the baby, now a fully grown teenager."_

_"I need to bring her back to her realm. She will unite the Courts and stop the killing. And I think I may have found the Queenling."_

"Awesome," I said when he was done. "So who is she?" I think I knew, but I didn't want to believe it.

But I was right when I guessed.

"You," Max said. "You are Kyra, Queenling of the Joined Courts."

I nearly fainted.

Then I just blanked. "How? I mean... They're not real."

"You mother was Queen Alexis. You are the only heir."

"No way, your crazy. Look, I don't believe a word... I'm leaving."

"You have to believe me, Kyra. I'm telling the truth, Your Highness."

"Don't call me that!" I shouted. there was no way... I was normal. I was human.

"Then what shall I call you?"

"Kim! JUST KIM!" I felt like crying. I knew it was weak-Why cry over this?

"I'll prove that your a fairy. Ky-Kim, turn to me." I did so, silently.

Plugging his ears, he pulled out a bell and rang it. The sharp, piercing sound reached my ears in a matter of seconds. I've always hated bells. They're loud and obnoxious and noisy. I clasped my hands to my head, covering my ears, but the sound kept coming from the little gold cow's bell. Next, he made me find a four-leaf clover. I did, and, like always, I felt like the skin on my hand was trying to peel off. It stung, and I dropped the green plant.

"Can you wear cheap jewelry?" Max asked.

I shook my head 'no'. Cheap jewelry turned green on my skin and itched.

"Headaches in the car?"

"Always," I said

"How do you feel about running water?"

"It's cold."

"So your a fairy. Or part one. You don't like clovers, cheap metal or bells. I know it's shocking Kim, but you have to believe me. The fate of my world depends on you."

_No Pressure, right? _I was quiet for a while.

Then I asked. "Who _are _you_?"_

He chuckled. "The Knight Maximus."

"Your the Big Knight?" I translated.

He frowned. "Maximus is my name."

"Ok..." Weirdo. "So, uh, when do I get to see the Realm?"

"Tonight, if you want to."


	14. Chapter 14

F O U R T E E N

"Wait, Max, there's one thing I don't get. Why don't I have wings?" I asked.

"You have a Mask on you. Hold this," he handed me the clover, "And repeat after me."

"_!eerf-eb-mrof-eurt-ym-tel,em-sdnib-taht-ksaM-siht-morf-em-esaeleR_" we cast.

In front of me, Maximus was transforming. His dirty blond hair transformed to copper strands, his blue eyes to sapphire pools, and his 21th century clothing to a worn brown tunic with gray leggings. Most marvelous of all were the wings that sprouted from his back. They were huge! The orange and black Monarch wings were a good two feet in width and reached from above his head to his lower back in length.

And I felt myself changing too. My hair was growing so long that it touched my the middle of my back, and I assumed that my eyes, violet before, were now an amethyst color. My clothing turned into a simple brown dress, and I felt four thin, fragile dragonfly wings emerge.

Max looked at me. "You will need a new dress and we will have to do something with you hair."

"Um, NO. My hair is _fine, _Maximus."

"The Light Court will not take to it being black."

"And the Night Court won't like it blond or something, now would they?" I guessed.

"Brunette then."

"Not if I have to wear it over here!" I like my hair the way it is!

"Red then."

Now, I can't argue with red... "NO! I like it black!"

"If I Charm you so that it's black when you enter the Mortal Realm, will you allow me to dye it?"  
"What's in it for me?" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'll give you flying lessons."

"Sold."

"I like that one," I said, pointing to the black and purple gown. Max and I were in a dress shop, shopping for dresses... Yuck.

"Nope. We're getting this one." Max was holding a dress. The bottom skirt was sky blue, with four red roses growing from the hem on the bottom right. Above the roses and to the left was a soaring Blue jay next to a big white fluffy cloud. "Από το αληθινό αίμα έρχομαι, επιθυμώντας για μια ημέρα στην οποία η ειρήνη θα μείνει. Η αληθινή ελπίδα οι άνθρωποί μου θα βρεί στα όπλα μου, και η αληθινή ηγεσία θα δοθεί στους ανθρώπους μου. Είμαι η βασίλισσά σας, ο φίλος σας, και ο υπάλληλός σας," was written on a red sash holding the skirt to a yellow blouse. A brown bodice wrapped around the dress, tied with purple ribbon. Parts of the text above decorated the rest of the dress as well, and in Max's other hand was a small gold ring for my head with the same words on it. He told me they said, "Of true blood I come, wishing for a day in which peace will stay. True hope my people will find in my arms, and true leadership will be given to my people. I am your queen, your friend, and your servant."

I pointed out that my blood was not true and that the words were really cheesy. He ignored the last part.

"Yes it is. Your father was a nobleman in your Realm, was he not?"

"I guess. But he was mortal."

"Your mother was a much-loved Queen. One little untruth will not hurt." Maximus held up the gold ring again. "This will be your crown."

"Fey will object if I wear it now," I point out.

"Kyra, you are here to claim the throne," he said, "Not to ask for it. Prophecy states that you will rule. Your subjects will not doubt prophecy."

I came closer to him. "I do not even _want_ to rule. I want to live a normal mortal life in my home Realm. I want to be human."

"It is your birth right, Your Majesty. When you see how chaotic the rest of this world is, you will understand why you must take the throne."

I gave him dagger eyes.

"Now go try on the dress."

No matter how much I would like to deny it, I could not help but notice the beauty of the dress once I put it on. In the mirror, where should stands a cranky teenager was a beautiful fairy. Her hair was the color of fire, and her eyes the color of emeralds. Her shoulders were exposed in the dress, which fit perfectly, the back sloping down to allow her blue tinted dragonfly wings through. A little bit of every color was on her. Grape vines were braided through her hair, which has been fastened into a half-up-half-down style with cherry wood sticks. The golden ring shone on her head like a diamond in a vat of black coal. It too, fit perfect.

I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest. So did she.

"You look beautiful," said a voice. In the mirror I could see Max behind me, a smile playing across his face. "Like a true Queen."

I was silent.

"Kyra-"

"Kim." I did not look at him.

"Your name here is Kyra. I know it is a shock to you. But there is no point in denying the truth."

"I know," I wanted to say. "I know, but..." But what? But I'm to stubborn to see whats in front of me?

So I said, "When do you show me around?"

"Whenever your ready, My Queen."

Now I spin around. "Do not call me that. It sounds as if you are to be my King."

"Here the word is Consort. A very lowly position, and something I do not ask for."

"Just show me the world already."


	15. Chapter 15

F I F T E E N

Just like in my dream, I was flying. Only, I flew as in the second part of my dream, where the trees had died and turned to gray, where I felt like shedding tears onto the dead ground. It reeked of death and war, and the sadness that enveloped the place was so depressing that seemed as if the earth was crying. Maximus flew closer to me, and seeing the woeful expression on my face squeezed my hand for strength before motioning for me to descend.

On the forest floor he put a finger to his lips for silence. "If you speak, They will hear you," he mouthed.

W_ho are They? _I wondered, but kept silent. It was as if the trees would betray us. What crime where we committing?

Maximus and I walked the path for a long time. It wasn't so much of a physical path, but I could tell that Maximus knew where he was going. Each step he took seemed to land in an exact place, and the way he walked spoke of a mission. Out of boredom, I tried to copy him, stepping where he stepped, breathing when he breathed.

We were alone, but at the same time a thousand eyes were on us.

Max and I were both wearing a brown cloak, which he had told me to don earlier, "For my own safety." Now I wondered if the cloaks offered protection from the invisible eyes. If I was not wearing one, would I be dead?

I don't want to know.

In the distance I could see a town. In the middle of it was a tall tower with only one lit window. The light, unlike the others in the town, was solid, not flickering. A malicious shadow passes over the window, and I run to catch up with Max again as all the lights in the town shut off, leaving us with only the moon for light.

Soon we come to a hut in the woods. I half expect to find a old warty witch living in it, but when Max knocks nine times, then once, then two more, on the rotting door, only a little man comes to answer. And somehow I know-He's a Goblin.

He ushers me inside, where he says, once the door has closed, "Dwarf, actually." He takes us to a bookshelf, where, surprise-surprise, he pulls out a book before floor drops from beneath him, Max, and I.

I land in a dark dug-out pit. I think that the dwarf and my knight are next to me, but I can't be sure. Only thing I know is that I'm not wearing shoes and the dirt is cold.

"Hang on," says the Dwarf. There is a bunch of fumbling and loud noises, before, finally, I can see again. "You may shed your cloaks."

I do so, and the Dwarf leads us down a tunnel. "You can call me Valim, if you were wondering. And you may speak here, we are warded."

"Where are we going?"

"Your home, Queenling."


	16. Chapter 16

S I X T E E N

"Uh, wow?" I uttered when Max looked at me. I mean, what was I supposed to _say_ about a _cave_? The floor and walls were dirt, and the only light came from some sort of a glowing blue mushroom on the walls. This was my palace? I'm not to into this whole Princess thing, but seriously...

"Of course, you will be moved to _Reh'Hunniet_ after the throne has been claimed," Valim said hastily, as if he thought my displeasure would result in trouble for him.

"I see," I said, even though I didn't.

Max was looking just as freaked out as I was. "Kyra, I have a cottage in these mountains you could stay in." He turned to Valim. "Kyra is not accustomed to this sort of home. If you would not mind-"

"And I will thank you for your help, either way," I said. "I really would rather staying somewhere more..."

"Human?" Valim finished. "Yes, yes, I suppose so. Go, take her to the cottage."

And so we trek through another eighty tunnels. Bu now, my legs are starting to hurt. "Yeah, guys, is there a reason why we're underground?" I've decided I don't like being underground.

"The Queen," Valim says in a way that tells me not to ask anymore. The Queen, Them... Who _are_ these people? And aren't I supposed to be the Queen?

But Max doesn't explain, so we just carry on in silence.

Well, it's not really silence, because Max and Val keep whispering and water keeps dripping from the-

"AH!" I scream. God, there's something on my foot.. GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!! It has eight legs, and I do not LIKE eight-legged creatures!!

"What?" Max rushes to my side.

"The is a spider," I try to remain calm but am failing miserably, "On. My. Foot."

He laughs. "You're afraid of _spiders?" _He bends down and pulls a giant hairy beast off my bare foot. It is as big as his hand, which is bigger than my hand, and covered in little fuzzy hairs and billions of big, red eyes. It has little pointy fangs. I think it's gonna eat me.

I huff. "Well, yeah. They're big, and furry... You have a problem with it?"

"No, of course not..." He chuckles.

"Can we just be moving on, please?!" says Val. We comply to his order.

It's lighter down here, and so I'm happy that I can see Max now. Wait, that came out wrong! I'm not happy to be able to see Max, I'm happy to be able to see. Forget I mentioned Max. I don't like Max. I like my boyfriend... crap, what was his name again? Uh, Spike, that's it.

_-You like Max. Stop lying to yourself, _says my conscience.

Shut up, Conscience.

I run to catch up with Max, and can swear that I'm hearing something that isn't us.

"Do you hear something?" I ask him.

He freezes and turns his head up like a mouse who's heard a cat. Then his eyes go wide like he's the mouse, and the cat has him cornered. "Run," he says, and takes off in a sprint. The panic in his voice makes me run too, and Valim is trying, but I guess his legs are too short. I scoop him up in my arms and run with him, my wings aiding me.

Only, I don't know where Maxwell is.

Max's speed is much greater than mine, so when he took off and I back tracked, I lost him. And Valim fainted.

And I can hear roars and screams, then footsteps that are like little earthquakes.

I don't care where I'm going, I just run.

The next thing I know, I'm standing on my front lawn. It's the middle of the night and the moon is full, casting light on my house behind me, and the street lamps are on, spilling pools of light onto the the sidewalk in front of me.

_How'd I get here?_ I wonder. I couldn't have run... Did I say the spell that Max-

Max.

Oh my god, MAX! Where was Max!?

_Max, Max, Max..._ I run into the house and up the stairs, not caring who I wake up, trying to find my cell phone.

It's on my bed, and I dial Max's number.

"Hey, it's Max."

"Oh Max! Thank God your safe! What happened back ther-"

"You know the drill." Answering machine. He didn't answer. He doesn't have his phone.

He's still in the fairy realm.

_And so is that thing that was chasing you, _says my inner pessimist.

'That can't be it. I'm overreacting. His phone's just off, thats all," I mumble to myself, stuffing the KRZR into my pocket. But I know what it must mean-He's still back there. I'm hyperventilating, because I like him, I mean really, really like him, and he might be dead, and I'll never see him again, and-

I can feel my cell phone vibrating inside my jacket pocket. I immediately snatch it up and look at the number, hoping it's Max. It's not, and I have never seen the number before, but I pick it up anyway. "Hello?" I ask, "Who is this?"

"Max. Kyra, you need to come get me, I got out okay, but I was transported to 1st Avenue, right by Pike Place Market. You have a car, right?"

"No. I don't even have a license, Max!"

"Oh."

"Look, I'll figure it out. Can't you just teleport or some magical crap over here?"

"People would see. This is _Pike Place Market_, there is a parade of something."

Right. Despite of living in the Seattle/King Country area for my entire life, I have never grasped the fact that Pike Place Market has festivals 24/7. Then again, I've never been up on the Space Needle either, which is really just weird. "I'll figure it out," I say again, and hang up.

I know five things. One: Max is in Seattle. Two: I'm In Renton. Three: I have to get Max out of Seattle and into Renton. Four: I can't drive. Five: Buses don't run this late.

That leaves one option.

Spike.

My boyfriend, who I REALLY don't want to see right now,(_Hey, Spike, Max teleported himself to Pike Place Market and I really like him so can we go get him please?_) on account of being confuzzled about the whole Spike/Me/Max thing. But he's the only one who has a car, and he's the only one who wouldn't murder me in twenty different ways that Hitler would find cruel for waking them up this early/late in the morning/night, so I dial his number. It rings twice, then he picks up.

"Kim? What's up?" he says. I can hear music in the background. It sounds live, so I can't help but wonder who's playing tonight.

"I need you to do me a favor..."


End file.
